Message groups are used in Robot/CONSOLE as a way to group messages into logical categories based on the source of the message. You can use message groups to separate certain messages from normal system messages. For example, you might create a message group to group messages by specific applications, by programming groups, or by company department.

By grouping messages, you easily can redirect a message based on where it came from without having to create a message set to process the message.

You determine the types of messages that should be separated into message groups and the grouping criteria to use. You then define each message group and its selection criteria.

When a message arrives on a message queue monitored by Robot/CONSOLE, the message groups are checked in the priority order specified. If a match to a message group’s selection criteria is found, the message group is assigned to the message. Note: Only one message group can be assigned to a message.

How to create and use a message group
In this example, all EDI message failures are captured and directed to the local expert, Jean, without creating or using a message set.

1. Before creating the EDI message group, you must create an EDI message center. From the Robot/CONSOLE Main Menu, select option 6, System Setup Menu. When the System Setup Menu displays, select option 1, Message Center Maintenance. When the Message Center Maintenance panel displays, press function key 6, Add Record, to create a new center.
   
2. When the Message Center Entry panel displays, create the new message center. In this example, Jean is the expert in the EDICENTER Message Center. When Robot/CONSOLE receives an EDI error, it displays a pop-up window to advise her of the problem that needs attention. If Jean does not respond to the pop-up window after one minute, the error is redirected to the broadcast list, DALELIST. DALELIST sends pager or e-mail messages to Jean and several of her co-workers (via Robot/ALERT) until the error is answered or the end of the list is reached.
3. Create the EDIGRP message group. Go to the Maintain Message Groups panel and press function key 6 to create a new group. Name the group EDIGRP and give it a message priority, such as 25. Add a description and redirect failure messages directly to the local Message Center, EDICENTER. Press Enter to create the new group.
   
4. When the Maintain Message Groups panel displays, enter option 2, Message Group Detail, next to the new EDIGRP message group.
   
5. When the Message Group Detail panel displays, add the Message File and Library information. This creates a filter so that the message group will pick up only EDI errors.
   
6. Activate the message group.

You have created a process that will capture EDI failure messages and direct them to the local EDI expert without needing a message set.

Message groups are a powerful feature of Robot/CONSOLE. If you haven’t tried them, we hope this article helps you think about ways you could start using them!

Contributed by Bill Broeckert, Technical Consultant

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 at 12:45 pm and is filed under Robot/CONSOLE. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.